The 25th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival kicked off two days ago. While the crowds were fairly light when we arrived at 12:30, it seemed busier than during previous years. I guess the "secret" about attending on opening day isn't such a secret anymore.

The weather was spectacular, people were having fun, lines were short, and cold beer was flowing! That sums it up! It was a great afternoon. By the time we left at 5pm, it was getting crowded and the lines were growing longer. But that's why we attended early.

If you feel like a deer in headlights when trying to select from the massive beer list, I've got a few ideas listed below. I've tasted each of these (not all during this visit) and provide a reason that you might want to try them. Other than this list, I only have two suggestions. First, drink water between each beer! More water = more beer. It's true. Second, get out of your box and sample styles you've never tasted before. Each taste is only 1 token, so you can't go wrong!

The 25th installment of the Oregon Brewers Festival kicks off at Portland's Waterfront Park tomorrow! Chris Crabb and Preston Weesner, two of OBF's key organizers (and busiest people in the State of Oregon), were kind enough to spend some time answering my questions about the festival...

For
those already familiar with the festival, are there any notable changes to the
25th installment of OBF?

Chris Crabb: We've
added a Sour Tent, based on the popularity of the Buzz Tent and the trending of
sour beers. That should be a huge hit with the attendees. We also have an
amazing music lineup this year, including the Cherry Poppin Daddies on Friday
night! But otherwise, no changes. Prices are the same as the past couple years:
$6 for a tasting mug and $1 for tokens. Four tokens to fill the mug, one token
for a taste. This is a festival that draws 80,000 people from all over the
world. If it isn't broke, why fix it?

The
Buzz Tent was a huge hit last year—so much so that beer was gone and the tent
was closed before the weekend started.
Will anything be different this year?
How can fest attendees find out what's pouring at any given time?

CC: Last year, we were promised beers that we
promoted (and counted on) that weren't delivered. At the end of the day, we
didn't have enough beer. This year, we purposefully have not shared what will
be in the tent, because we want it in our hands before we promote it. Preston did release a bit of info on an interview with Lisa Morrison on Beer O'Clock that can be listened to here.

Preston
Weesner: We will post a starting list each day of the event, and we have a
dedicated Twitter feed (@OBFBuzzTent) to get the tappings and changes to the
masses at they happen,.

How did the decision to open the Sour Tent come about? While sour beers
are popular among beer geeks, do you think craft beer drinking masses area
ready for them?

PW: This came about for two reasons. 1: The Buzz
tent ran low last year and we filled with Cascade Sours, which were extremely
popular. 2: The director of the OBF, Art Larrance, also owns Cascade Brewing,
which has developed a national reputation for its Northwest Style Sour Ales,
and he believes it's time to let the secret of Sour out. We also have a
dedicated Twitter feed for that (@OBFBSourTent).

For
those that missed the OBF movie, will it be shown again? Where can we see it?

CC: There will be a second showing on the big
screen on Wednesday, July 25, at 7 pm at the Living Room Theaters. Tickets cost
$5 for the movie, or $10 with an official poster. The film will star at 7:30pm
with the short film "Weathering Spring" playing beforehand. After that,
we will upload to You Tube and possibly Netflix. It's important to note that
this is not a documentary of the festival, it's more of a promotional piece for
those who have never been before to get a feel for what the festival is all
about.

How
many breweries submitted applications to join the festival? Can you provide any behind-the-scenes
insights into how the breweries are selected?

CC: More than
100 submitted applications this year. Applications are sent out the first week
of January, and due back, with payment, by the third Friday in February. The
"with payment" clause is important, because if more than 82 breweries
apply, we have to start making cuts, and the first ones cut are those that
didn't play by the rules. After those are culled, we go to a lottery. However,
if a brewery is on the wait list this year, they will be given priority the
following year.

How has
the craft beer culture grown and changed in the last 25 years?

CC: Craft
beer culture has changed in so many ways. In 1985, there were 21 craft
breweries in America. In 1988, there were only 8 craft breweries in Oregon -
today we have 148! The festival was started to bring attention to these craft
beers (back then they were referred to as microbrews, a term not really used
anymore). The founders wanted to get some press about their beers. And
speaking of press, that has been one of the biggest changes. In the beginning
there was one reporter covering beer in Oregon: Fred Eckhardt. Eventually a few
more signed on, including Jeff Alworth and John Foyston and Alan Moen. But it
was all print journalists, there was not such thing as a blog. I used to do a
media preview on Friday of the festival that involved a group of maybe 12 media
walking from tap to tap for tastes. This year, my media list is at about 80.

The festival
has gone from a 2-day to a 3-day to a 4-day event, and there are rumors it may
expand even more in the future. Only time will tell!

A huge thanks to Chris and Preston for taking the time to chat! I can't wait...

It's the middle of summer in Portland. The Oregon Brewers Festival kicks off in just three days and the last thing most of us are thinking of is fall. On the plus side, the cooler weather will bring us brand new seasonal releases from BridgePort and Rogue.

BridgePort's new Witch Hunt is a 5.8% ABV "Spiced Harvest Ale" brewed with cinnamon and nutmeg. It's interesting that BridgePort has not included pumpkin in this beer. I love Witch Hunt's label artwork. Here's the description. "Something wicked this way comes. From slightly sweet caramel malts, Witch Hunt offers an intense dry hop character finished with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg spices."

If you want some gourd in your beer, Rogue Ales will release Pumpkin Patch Ale. As part of their GYO (Grow Your Own) Chatoe Rogue line, Rogue grows all the barley, hops—and now pumpkin used in these beers. Here's the description. "Created with pumpkins grown on Rogue's Micro hop and pumpkin yard in Independence, Oregon. Fresh pumpkins are picked, loaded into our truck, driven immediately 77 miles to our brewery in Newport, Oregon, quickly roasted, and pitched into the brew kettle."

While I'm not ready to let go of summer, new beers like these make the change in seasons a bit more palatable. As far as I'm aware, these beers have not been formally announced, so I don't know when they will be released.

Last month, I attended the 34th Annual National Homebrewers Conference in Seattle. While the events of the weekend are now a fond but distant memory, I wanted to share a few details and pictures from the Conference Grand Banquet. Beer pairs beautifully with food. Just a few months ago, I experienced my first beer pairing dinner at The Oregon Garden Brewfest.

The theme for the conference banquet was “Taste of the Northwest” and it was created by Sean Paxton, otherwise known as The Homebrew Chef. The dinner was sponsored by Rogue Brewing, who provided the beer that paired with each course, as the beer used in the preparation of each dish. Here are the delicious details, course by course. My comments are in bold italics.

I loved this soup! It was rich, creamy, and the mushroom melded with the salty bacon and blue cheese. The bique itself paired seamlessly with the Mocha Porter—they were made for each other. This was a great start to the dinner and my favorite pairing overall.

Second Course

Pacific Northwest Salmon

Brined in Cap’n Sig’s Northwestern Ale, brown sugar and thyme, grilled and served with a roasted root vegetable (celeriac, parsnips, carrots, and potatoes) mash infused with Hazelnut Brown Nectar, garnished with an orange hazelnut parsley gremolata and a side of seasonal vegetables sautéed with a Centennial hop butter. Paired with Chateau Rogue OREgasmic Ale

The salmon itself was cooked well and wasn’t dry. Normally when salmon is served in banquets in such large quantities, it's usually overcooked—not in this case. I’m not a fan of mashed potatoes, but I loved the root vegetable mash, which had loads of flavor. The orange zest in the gremolata added a sharp, but bright citrus bitterness. Another great course. I also liked the Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic Ale, but in my opinion, it didn’t pair well with the salmon.

This little package packed a lot of flavor! Each layer was unique and stood out on its own as I took each bite. All of the elements listed in the description were present in each spoonful of sweetness. The 2011 XS Russian Imperial Stout was sweet, but had a sharp bitterness which cut through the sweetness of the trifle, and made for a nice pairing.

Kudos to Sean Paxton, Rogue Ales, and the kitchen staff at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue for creating an excellent dinner worthy of a great conference! This banquet was a perfect example of how beer and food can be used to elevate each other. I can’t help but wonder what will be served at the Banquet for the 35th Annual Homebrewers Conference in Boston.